Slow Beer

Friday, July 28, 2006

Recent Tasting Notes

Matilda Bay Crema - 8/20
A bit disappointing really as to my mind this beer doesn’t really achieve anything despite the coffee bean aspect. Pours like a macro albeit the dull orange haze gives the impression it wasn’t heavily ’cleaned up’ prior to bottling. There’s no doubting the bouquet; coffee chocolate notes dominate. Palate is definately ho-hum as the coffee, milk chocolate, cocoa etc, overlayed with a citrus note, looks quite awkward and unbalanced. As a few other notes have observed coffee flavours work well with stout or porter styles yet Malilda Bay has tried to infuse into a pale lager / pilsner format. It just doesn’t work at all.

Bintara Scotch Ale - 1/20
One word review? Hopeless!! Pours like a softdrink – think creamy soda. Aromas show some early promise with ginger and spices but cheap malt sweetness comes over the top (standard issue for this mob). Dilutive and characterless to drink. Had I tried this blind I would have guessed a weak ginger beer, kinda like my Grandmother used to make with the DIY Soda Stream soft drink maker. Is this a bad bottle because this would have to be close to the worst beer I have ever drank. Geez Bintara have some work to do!!!!

Red Duck The Ox Porter - 12/20
Fizzy head, thick early, with a very unique orange / coffee coloured head – looks great. Dark brown body. Big nose for the porter style with plenty of roast , milk chocolate and perhaps just the faintest of metallic notes that I personally often see in porters. Flavours just don’t quite deliver for my liking. There’s no doubt this beer has body and depth but the chocolate and roast notes come across a little disjointed. The 9% abv may be working negatively here and the beer feels extracted and a touch hard. It’s an interesting experiment, particularly for an Australian brewer, but it doesn’t quite work.

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